CURVES 77 



evolution of an abdominal wound on a soldier twenty-two 

 years old (no. 360), shows that the accord between the experi- 

 ment and the calculation was excellent during nearly tliree 

 months. The date of complete cicatrization was calculated 

 on the loth of February and gave the 6th of May as an answer. 

 On the 30th of April the wound had an area of 070 cm.'^ and 

 the calculated figure was 075. It was completely healed on 

 the 4th of May instead of the 6th, an error of two days out of 

 ninety. An important divergence can be noticed between the 

 loth and i8th of February due to a re-infection of the wound, 

 which at that time was kept under a plain sterile dressing. 

 Chloramine was applied on the i8th, and the rate was imme- 

 diately accelerated. The curve overtook the calculated point 

 on the 22nd. ^ 



Fig. 16 shows an experiment with Flavine, an antiseptic 

 which was much praised at the time in England. The experi- 

 ment was begun on the 23rd of April, after a small infection 

 which manifested itself on the 15th by a slight retardation had 

 been conquered. The result was almost immediate. On the 

 25th of May not only had the wound ceased to cicatrize but it 

 had enlarged (from 4-3 to 5-2 cm.-). The immediate applica- 

 tion of Chloramine brought about the renewal of cicatrization 

 by epidermization. On the ist of May another trial brought 

 about another stop. On the 3rd of May we definitely resorted 

 to Chloramine, which brought the experimental curve back to 

 the calculated one. During all this time the wound had 

 remained sterile. From a purely antiseptic point of view, 

 Flavine was therefore excellent. But, on the other hand, its 

 necrotic action w^as so strong that it was impossible to employ 

 it. We could therefore, in a few days, establish mathemati- 

 cally, without possible discussion, the real practical value of a 



^ This interesting phenomenon is not due to the specific action of 

 the Chloramine or Dakin solutions, but to the elimination of the 

 retarding factors, infection or irritation. It is as if the wound accumu- 

 lated the necessary elements during the slowing up process, and 

 liberated them as soon as the inhibiting cause was suppressed. The 

 same phenomenon can be observed in the growth of living beings 

 when an impediment which retards their growth is eliminated. 



